Advertising calendar device



Oct. 3, 1961 M. L. RUFF, SR

ADVERTISING CALENDAR DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1958INVENTOR MART/N L. RUFF, 15/? BY fi & 4 5.

ATTORNEY Oct. 3, 1961 M. L. RUFF, SR- 3,002,306

ADVERTISING CALENDAR DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Shet 2 ZNVENTORATTORNEY MAR T/N L- RUFF, 5R.

United States Patent 3,002,306 ADVERTISING CALENDAR DEVICE Martin L.Ruff, Sr., 334 Wells St., Smyrna, Ga. Filed Sept. 5, 1958, Ser. No.759,273v 7 Claims. (Cl. 40-107) This invention relates to an advertisingcalendar device and especially to a device of that sort which may beplaced on a desk top or the like to attract attention to advertisingmaterial thereon and to present the calendar days and monthsAccordingly, this invention combines useful calendar information into anovelty advertising device and it can be given away or sold at a nominalamount by the advertiser to his customers who could be expected todisplay the device in sight. There is frequently a need by officepersonnel and the like to have a calendar in plain view and sight at alltimes so that the various days may be readily ascertained. Such devicesordinarily occupy a prominent place in a room and if at all unusual willprovoke conversation and cause people to notice the advertising. Thepresent invention presents such a device as this.

Generally described, without restriction on the scope of my'invention,the present device may be in several forms but in one preferred formthereof is constructed from elongated wire stock bent into a standdevice which consists of four pieces of wire each bent at the bottominto a leg and outwardly at the top into a bent tip. The four pieces ofwire are arranged co -axially about a long center wire. Mounted on thetop of the bent tips is a small wire hub frame with bent ends fittinginto the grooves between tips and having removably mounted therein apair of long crossed calendar support wires intersecting at right anglesand bent about the center wire. Each support wire has mounted thereonthree small calendar tabs with one months calendar thereon for a totalof twelve months, three on each of the four sides. The upper tip of thecenter wire is capped with advertising material, such as a miniaturebottle to advertise a soft drink manufacturer or any other item. In theoperation of the device, the hub may be lifted about the main wire frameand rotated regularly to bring different calendars into view. The backof each calendar tab is printed with advertising material so that inaddition to the. calendars of the current months the advertisingmaterial is also showing. The device may be disassembled from the mainfour wire frame and the frame folded and packed with the parts in asmall box.

A primary object of my invention is to provide an advertising noveltycalendar device which exhibits the individual calendar months in anupright fashion and with advertising material that is obvious to anyoneseeing the device.

An additional object of this invention is found in the unusualappearance of this device caused by projecting arms supporting smallindividual calendars.

This device is particularly adapted for commercial advertising usebecause of the simplicity of arrangement and the knock-down constructionwhich permits inexpensive shipping by parcel post or any other manner.

Another advantage is found in the inexpensive method and arrangement ofconstruction and especially in the simple assembly. and disassemblyrelationship having usefulness both in manufacture and in shipping.

Additional objects and advantages as well as a complete understanding ofthe operation of my invention will be apparent upon reading thefollowing specification taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred wire form of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the upper end of the device in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line-3..3 inFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 inFIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 5.-5 inFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another preferred form of my inventionconstructed partly from some solid material.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 inFIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 inFIG. 6.

Referring initially to the embodiment in FIGS. 1 through 5, the devicedesignated in general at 10 consists of a foldable wire frame stand 12having four elongated wires 14 banded together by circular band 16 andeach having a bottom leg 18 bent from the main wire and each having ashort bent upper tip 20 also bent from the main wire. Wires 14 areco-axially arranged to confine therewith an axial center wire 22 runningfrom near the bottom upwardly above the top with an exposed upper tip24.

A calendar support frame hub 26 mounted on the top of the frame 12 isformed from four wires 28 in spaced relation of distance to correspondwith the depressions or junctions of wire 14 tips 20 at the top.Soldered or otherwise fixed on the hub 26 are intersecting calendarsupport wires 30, 32 with respective center bends 34, 36 about thecenter wire 22 for rotating thereabout and to be removable therefrom.Wires 30, 32 are generally both in the same plane somewhat like apropeller and thereby present four extending legs, two on each wire 30,32, about the upper end 24. Soldered in the bottom of hub 26 is a smallcollar 37 which fits around the wire 22 and is removable therefrom withhub 26.

Each leg of the wires 30, 32 has mounted thereon three small metal orpaper calendar pages or tabs 38. Each tab 38 has printed thereon adifferent calendar month of the year and has formed at the top a rolledor bent edge 40 defining an open bore and where edge 40 which fitsaround the wire 30, 32 and is readily removable therefrom. The back 42of each tab 38 has printed thereon advertising material of any characterdesired.

Removably mounted on the top of wire 22 is an advertising item which canbe in any miniature form such as a bottle, a miniature typewriter, orsimply a sphere 44 as shown in FIG. 1 which can carry any desired trademark thereon.

In the operation of this device 10, it may be shipped in pack-agedknock-down form by removing sphere 44 from rod 22, lifting hub 26 withcross wires 30, 32 and then removing the small calendar tabs 38. fromthe ends of rods 30, 32 by sliding therealong and therefrom. Frame 12can be folded by shifting two opposed wires 14 on each side toward eachother to bring them into fiat abutment, as suggested by the arrows inFIG. 1.

After assembly, in the reverse of the disassembly just discussed, thedevice 10 is positioned on the desk or other surface with the pertinentor current months of the year in front of the user. In this position, orany position, the advertising material on the backs 42 of some tabs 38shows. When. it is desired to change the current months, the user simplylifts hub 26 on center wire 22 to disengage hub wires 28 from thedepressions between wires =14 and their tips 20. In the liftedcondition, the hub 26 is rotated about wire 22 the desired amount andthen lowered into the depressions between wires 14- and their tips 20.

In the modified form in FIG, 6, the device 50 therein bodiment.

ed for limited longitudinal and rotational movement 'on body 52 at thetop thereof in an upper nose cone or hub 85 with a bottom pyramiddepressionfid complementary to and corresponding with the upper pyramidtip of top cone 5 4.

A Wire shaft 63 with screw threaded end 64 screwed "i I described, abody member comprising four wire members into the center of top pyramid54 passes throughian open bore 66 formed in nose cone 58 and protrudestherefrom with exposed end 68 at the top thereof. Removably mountedonthis end 68 is an advertising device, such as the miniature bottle orother product, or

the sphere 7t shown in FIG. 6 which can have any trademark thereon. I I

inserted substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of body 52are four calendar support wires or blades 72 spaced at approximately 90degree arcs from each other about the periphery of nose cone 58. Wires72 are all removable simply by pulling from the opening into which theyare forced. Mounted on each of the four wires 72 are the small calendarpads, sheets 4 tially upright stand, a hub member mounted on the top ofsaid upright body to be rotatable thereon, said hub being removable fromsaid body portion by lifting same therefrom, a plurality of outwardlyextending calendar support arms mounted in spaced relation about saidhub, and a plurality of individual calendar tabs removably mounted onand distributed among said arms, each of said calendar tabs having afront surface with one months calendar indicated on one side andadvertising material space on the other side, there being at least onecalendar tab for each monthof the year with said tabs being distributedamong said arms.

3. In an advertising calendar novelty device of the class bandedtogether into a composite frame, support feet formed on the bottom ofsaid wire members, said Wires being spaced apart at the top thereofforming depressions therebetween, a calendar hub movably mounted on saidwire frame, normally resting in said depressions, calendar supportmembers protruding from said calendar hub, each of said support membershaving a different calendar monthly calendar member mounted thereon,said hub being movable in said depressions to change the position of ortabs 74 with rolled or bent upper ends 76 fitted on a respective wire'72. There are three tabs representing three different months on eachwire 72. Each tab has an advertising space 78 on the back thereof.

The operation of this embodiment 50 is the same as in the previousembodiment 10. It rests on the desk or the like and the user positionsit according to his pan ticular likes to show whatever current orpertinent months are preferred; and the user may rotate the upper nosecone 58 about the shaft 63 when desired simply by lifting it a smallamount to disengage pyramid end 54 from pyramid depression 62 and thenturning it to the desired position, thereafter lowering it back in placewith pyramid depression 62 on pyramid 54. 1

The embodiment may be disassembled and knockeddown for packing andpackaging as in the former'em- Sphere 70 is pulled off and nose cone 58is lifted entirely free of shaft 63. Wires 72 are removed and the smalltabs 7-4 are removed from the wlres. Feet 56 are pulled from the bottomof the body '52. Assembly is a simple reversal of the above describedprocedure.

While I have shown and described two preferred embodiments of my genericinvention, this is by way of detailed illustration only and is not to beconstrued as any limitation on the latitude of my invention sincevarious alterations, substitutions, eliminations, changes and additionsmay be made therein without departing from the scope of my inventiondefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an advertising calendar novelty device of the class described, anelongated body portion adapted to rest on a surface in an uprightposition forming a substantially upright stand, a hub member mounted onthe top of said upright body to be rotatable thereon, said hub beingremovable from said body portion by lifting therefrom, a plurality ofoutwardly extending calendar support arms mounted in spaced arcuaterelation about said hub, and a plurality of individual calendar tabsremovably mounted on and distributed among said arms, each of saidcalendar tabs having a front surface and a back 2. In an advertisingcalendar novelty device of the class described, an elongated bodyportion adapted to rest on a surface on upright position forming asubstansaid calendar support members to bring different calendars intoview.

4. In an advertising calendar device for showing the days of the monthsand also for displaying advertising material, a substantially uprightstand comprising elongated wire members; means holding said wirestogether, a center wire extending straight upwardly above said standwire tops, a hub member fitted for movement about said top portion ofsaid center wire, transversely projecting calendar support wiresradiating outwardly from the top of said hub and forming a bend, each ofsaid projecting wires forming a calendar support member extending fromsaid stand, a plurality of tab calendar members positioned on said arms,each tab member having a flat calendar surface on which there isindicated a full months calendar and having other space thereon on whichadvertising material may be placed, means on each of said tab memberspositioned on the wire arms to hold said tabs in place.

5. In an advertising calendar device for showing the days of the monthsand also for displaying advertising ma terial, a substantially uprightstand comprising elongated wire members co-axially arranged about acenter wire member, a retaining collar holding said wires together, eachof said wire members having an outwardly bent bottom end forming a footmember supporting the stand on a flat surface, said center wireextending straight upwardly above said wire tops, a hub member fittedfor movement about said top portion of said center wire and comprisinghub wires each having a bottom end normally fitting into a space formedbetween said four elongated wires, an annular guide and stop member attached on said four hub wires to limit the downwardly travel thereof andto fit about said center wire, a pair of transversely projectingcalendar support wires intersecting each other substantiallyperpendicular about the top of said hub and forming a bend about saidcenter wire, each of said projecting wires forming a calendar supportarm, a plurality of tab calendar members positioned on said wire arms,each tab member having a flat calendar surface on which there isindicated a full months calendar and having other space thereon on whichadvertising material may be placed. 7

6. In an advertising calendar device for showing the days of the monthsand also for displaying advertising material, a substantially uprightstand comprising four elongated wire member co-axially arranged about acenter wire member, a retaining collar holding said wires together, eachof said four wire members having an outwardly bent bottom end forming afoot member supporting the stand on a flat surface, each of the tops ofsaid four wire members being bent to form a short, outwardly extendingportion, said center wire extending straight up Wardly above said fourwire tops, a hub member fitted for movement about said top portion ofsaid center wire and comprising four hub wires each having a bottom endnormally fitting into a depression formed between the bent tops of saidfour elongated wires, an annular guide and stop member attached on saidfour hub wires to limit the downwardly travel thereof and to fit aboutsaid center wire, a pair of transversely projecting calendar supportwires intersecting each other substantially perpendicular about the topof said hub and forming a bend about said center wire, each of saidprojecting wires forming a calendar support arm for a total of four armsspaced substantially 90 degrees from each other, a plurality of tabcalendar members positioned on said wire arms, each tab member having aflat calendar surface on which there is indicated a full months calendarand having other space thereon on which advertising material may beplaced, the top of each of said tab members being bent upon itself toform a retaining hook positioned on the Wire arms to hold said tabs inplace.

7. In a calendar advertising device adapted to rest on the top of a deskor the like to advertise and to show the calendar months, an elongatedstand member having a bottom support for supporting said member on adesk for an upper hub member mounted on said stand, a retaining membermounted on said stand and movably re taining said hub member on saidstand thereby movably holding said hub in place, a plurality ofprojecting support arm members mounted on said hub, each of said membersbeing an outwardly extending member having the end thereof attached onsaid hub and said members being arcuately spaced about said hub fromeach other, a plurality of calendar support members distributed amongsaid support arms, each of said support members having a fiat surface onwhich is indicated the days of a month, there being different months ondifierent calendar members and each of said members being removable,there being advertising material on said tab calendar members inaddition to the different months thereon, said hub being shiftable aboutsaid stand to bring different months into view.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS905,392 Watkins Dec. 1, 1908 1,198,263 Pajeau Sept. 12, 1916 1,472,928MacKenzie Nov. 6, 1923 1,895,993 Glenny Jan. 31, 1933 2,075,033 GarnerMar. 1937 2,797,512 Sieve July 2, 1957

